Disqus has a new release out, and it looks like they've been busy. Today they announced a Wordpress plugin, an API, and some UI changes to Disqus.com.
The Wordpress plugin does a couple of things:
- it allows blog comments to be stored locally (which is key for SEO)
- it allows bloggers to synchronize legacy comments with Disqus comments on their Wordpress blog
- it allows bloggers to import legacy comments to Disqus
Note: There is still an SEO problem here, but instead of an indexability issuue, it's a duplicate content issue. Blogs that use Disqus will be competing in the eyes of Google as to who is the original source of the blog comment content - the blog, or Disqus.com
The API allows blogger / developers to build more robust, seamless integrations using Disqus.
And the UI changes primarily involve a shift in emphasis on the commenter profile page from a typical profile, to a river of that person's comments from around the Web.
I have a couple of reactions to these moves, in no particular order:
- I love that Disqus is offering Wordpress bloggers the ability to import their legacy comments to Disqus. Disqus clearly has big plans for Disqus.com and compiling the most complete database of comment content on the web in a central location seems to be a good move.
- The Disqus.com profile tweaks hint at the influence of investor Fred Wilson. At a recent keynote at a WidgetWebExpo conference, Fred began his slides with a picture of a flowing river, and the words "I am increasingly obsessed with the concept of a river of content." Disqus.com profiles are now a river of commenting content from around the web. Standard profiles are a dime a dozen - it makes perfect sense that Disqus profiles should highlight Disqus' bread and butter - a river of blog comments.
- Competition is a good thing. JS-Kit's Khris Loux has been hammering Disqus on pursuing a lock-in strategy with an implicit message of "you can stop using Disqus at any time, but you will lose all of your blog comments." The Disqus Wordpress plugin starts to address these portability related concerns.
- Disqus.com is getting dev resources, and clearly plays a big part in Disqus' future. Hub and Spoke anyone?
- These were not trivial changes and Disqus is not a big team. These guys are getting after it.
For more coverage, see this excellent Mashable write-up as well as the Disqus blog.
